Vallarta Botanical Garden relies tremendously on your generosity and support as they continue to grow and maintain their tropical paradise for the enjoyment of Puerto Vallarta residents and it’s visitors! They offer many ways to help the gardens stay beautiful.

Memberships available:

Individual Membership

$60 USD($54 senior discount)\

All of the privileges of Sustaining Membership, but for just one individual

(accompanying guests pay their admission)

Sustaining Membership

Copa de Oro (Gold Cup) Membership

Board of Trustees Advisory Level Membership

Guardian Level Membership

Benefactor Level Membership

They offer tours and welcome everyone to visit, roam the trails, smell the flowers and enjoy the facilities!

The Puerto Vallarta Botanical Gardens is a place of quiet reverence, anyone disturbing the peace will be asked to leave.

Dogs must be kept on a leash at all times, and you must clean up after your pet.

Cautionary info: Please remain on the maintained pathways at all time. Steep ledges are dangerous and present in some of our unmaintained areas. First Aid is available at the Visitor Center. In wooded areas, please watch your step carefully for loose gravel or exposed tree roots. When swimming in the Crystal Pools please, no diving! Underwater rocks can pose unseen dangers.

Poisonous plants and venomous critters may be encountered. Stay on designated trails and do not disturb the wildlife.

Don’t dive into the river. Distances and objects underwater can be difficult to judge.

Remember that the Gardens close at 6:00 pm. Please do not venture along the Jaguar, or Chachalaca Ridge Trails after, 5:00 pm.

Garden Staff in the Visitor Center maintain essential first aid supplies and have basic rescue training, but prevention of problems is the best solution.

Hours and Admission:

$100 pesos/person

Kids – (ages 4-12) $20 peso

Regular Garden Hours:
Open Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
(Closed Mondays)

Tour’s for school groups are currently offered Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. For school

groups, they are happy to provide a guided 1-hour tour with a volunteer from our Team. The rest of the time your group is free to walk through the various trails or to swim in the river. *Reminder – students must be accompanied at all times by adult chaperones.

Why become a VOLUNTEER?

A fun community, great opportunities, and exciting
perks:

Free membership to the Gardens–unlimited Garden entry! (Conditional upon continued
service as specified.)

Free classes, workshops, and events.

Discounts in the Garden restaurant, gift store, & nursery.

Receive one free guest pass for every 20 hours of logged and pre-scheduled garden service

in assigned duties.

Put your energy and creativity into the principal mission of the Gardens.

Enrich your life with challenging projects and learning opportunities.

Get to know the Garden staff and other volunteers by collaborating and learning with them.

Meet and share your knowledge with local plant enthusiasts and visitors from around the world.

Celebrate the joys of volunteering during our annual staff and volunteer appreciation day. The next upcoming date posted on our Calendar of Events.

How to become a VOLUNTEER:

Volunteers are strongly encouraged to begin their involvement here by attending a volunteer training session. The next scheduled volunteer

After their initial training, volunteer trainees will be mentored by a senior volunteer and staff member (as available) until they can be checked off on the following:

Knowing the Garden’s mission & contributing toward it

Knowing and following the garden’s policies

Guiding the standard 1:00 pm garden tour and other duties as assigned

Treating others at the garden with kindness & respect

Once the volunteer coordinator has checked off a volunteer trainee, they will be issued their volunteer membership, valid until the end of that calendar year and conditional upon their continued regular service to the Gardens in duties approved by the Volunteer Coordinator.

Note:

For those who are not interested in an extended volunteer commitment but would still like to lend a hand for a day (or a

few), please check our calendar of events for special group volunteer activities including planting or highway cleanup.

Another option is to request to shadow another volunteer. You may make your request with our volunteer coordinator by emailing educadorambiental@vbgardens.org with your availability and the type of work you would like to do.

What do Garden Volunteers do?

Garden Volunteers take on a variety of different duties and projects at the Garden:

practiced in writing grant applications can assist us in that capacity.

Translating: We always have a pile of documents to translate, many of which linked to public education and serving our visitors.

Many more opportunities are possible. Put your skills and talents to work here by finding or dreaming up projects that take merit your abilities – or learn new skills by trying something different. Learn the needs of the Garden and communicate how you can help out the most while making your experience here your reward.

Volunteers who wish to contribute generously to the Gardens from their personal finances, family trusts, or commit to fundraising for the Gardens in the local or international communities may consider applying for service on a Garden Committee working in conjunction with the Executive Director and members of the Garden’s Board of Directors. Committee service is a pathway to consideration in joining the Garden

Board of Directors. Board Membership is a serious commitment. An often repeated quote within non-profits is, “Of work, wealth, and wisdom a board member should contribute at least two.” Volunteers who are interested in serving on a committee should have a personal conversation with the Garden’s Curator or Executive Director.

Volunteer Policies:

Volunteers commit to a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer service per year. Minimal service per day is 5 hours during regular Garden hours.

Volunteers will check in with the volunteer coordinator (or, if unavailable, another Garden manager) upon arrival at the Gardens. Before leaving the Gardens, volunteers will log their hours of service at the Volunteer Coordinator’s desk before they leave.

If a volunteer cannot make it to a scheduled volunteer commitment, that volunteer will send an email to the Volunteer Coordinator and the Volunteer email list requesting coverage with as much advanced notice as possible. If it is a last minute emergency, please also call the Gardens directly.

Volunteers act by the Garden’s mission and represent the Garden professionally and courteously at all times.

Dependent on the Garden’s budget, volunteers, are invited to join the staff breakfast complimentarily at 10:00 am and lunch at 3:00 pm each day they are at the Gardens completing assigned duties in pre-scheduled garden service. Volunteers are responsible for letting the Volunteer Coordinator (or, if unavailable, another Garden manager) know ahead of time of any dietary restrictions. At no point should the volunteer communicate with kitchen staff concerning special requests. Another option, always extended to volunteers, is to order a meal of their choice from the Garden’s menu. (member discount of 10% applied)

Volunteers will dress in attire appropriate for their duties and wear their uniform shirt and name tag when volunteering. Volunteers will not display corporate logos while on the property of the Gardens.

Volunteers will make use of standard safety equipment during their service. They will immediately report any unsafe condition or perceived safety concern to the Volunteer Coordinator.

Volunteers will respond in a timely fashion to correspondence from Garden staff and fellow volunteers